Magic After a Miracle: Todd Lamanske Is Back to His Tricks
Beloved local magician Todd Lamanske’s family gathered this summer to celebrate two milestones - his 60th birthday and the third anniversary of his heart attack. Neither occasion would have been on the family calendar if a series of miracles had not occurred one night in July 2021.
It started out as a typical Friday night. “We had our grandkids and went to a movie and dinner,” Todd recalled. “The whole night, though, I knew I wasn’t feeling right. It was 11:30 pm when I looked at my wife and said, ‘I think I need to go to the hospital.”
When he arrived at Liberty Hospital, he had not yet had a heart attack, and an echocardiogram showed no signs of one. Staff contemplated sending him home, but blood work was concerning. So, he was admitted and a heart catheterization, a procedure that involves inserting a scope into an artery to check for blockage, was scheduled for Monday.
“The first miracle was coming in when I did,” Todd said. “I was told later I wouldn’t have made it through the weekend if I hadn’t. The second was being admitted when it almost seemed as if I could go home.”
On Monday, cardiologist Tapas “Joey” Ghose, MD, was talking with Todd’s family after the heart catheterization procedure when Todd had a heart attack on the table.
“That was miracle number three: If I wouldn’t have been on that table with the cardiologist and nurses, I wouldn’t be here,” Todd said.
Dr. Ghose said that despite several stents, Todd’s vessel would not stay open. A stent is a tiny mesh tube to prop arteries open to increase blood flow to the heart.
“An actual ‘heart attack’ on the table happens 1-5% of the time,” Dr. Ghose said. “In Todd’s situation, the key was not only getting the heart cath done at the right time, but also having the availability of a surgeon like Dr. Gorton who can quickly take people to the operating room when stents are not enough to fix the problem.”
Cardiothoracic surgeon Michael Gorton, MD, performed Todd’s quintuple bypass on Thursday.
“I have known Todd for 30 years, and my family and I have seen his magic often. When I walked into the operating room and saw his heart cath films and echocardiogram, I knew I was the one who needed to do some magic.”
Michael Gorton, MD
Recovery
Todd is the first to say his road to recovery was long and difficult – and one he could not have done alone. “My wife is an angel,” he said. “She totally took care of me. If I live to be a thousand, I could never repay what she did for me.
“And nurses - we all know nurses are awesome,” he said. “But until you experience their care and know what they do, you don’t understand just how awesome they are. Doctors are awesome, too, but nurses are the unsung heroes. They’re saving lives every day. The care I received at Liberty Hospital, from the ER to ICU to Cardiac Rehab, was amazing.”
Two months after his heart attack, he began to resume some magic performances, and now three years later, he continues to bring laughter and amazement to audiences across the Kansas City area.
New perspective
Todd replaced his previous lackadaisical approach to his health with a commitment to following his recovery protocol. Eat healthy. Exercise. He admitted he had an opportunity to make life changes years before, but he didn’t.
“I knew my dad had died of a heart attack at 42, and two of my brothers had bypass surgery and one had stents,” Todd said. “Knowing this, several years ago, I had done the heart plaque test, and my results were not good. But I didn’t make any changes. That was just stupid of me. I knew I needed to be eating right and exercising, but I was foolish.”
He encouraged everyone to get the calcium (plaque) screening. At Liberty Hospital, it’s only $50, and insurance is not needed.
The experience changed his perspective, and he wants his experience to serve as a warning to others to save their lives.
“I fully believe miracles saved me,” he said. “God is in control, and he must want me here for a reason. It’s really a heavy thing to think about. Life is precious.”
Todd and his wife, Kim, have two daughters and three grandchildren.
Learn more about cardiac screening and testing at The Heart Center.
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